Gas-generator.



No. 868,847. PATENTBD OCT. 22. 1907. A. DAVIS n J. H. BIRCH.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 3.1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1 No. 868,847. PATENTED 001222. 1907. A. DAVIS & J. H. BIRGH.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNI: 3.1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n.5.mm

, No. 868,847. PAT'ENTED 001222. 1907.

A. DAVIS & J. H. BIRCH.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 3.1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

UeusTINE DAVIS, or oEIoAeouILLINoIs, -AND JAMES H. BIRCH, oF ELKIIAB'I, INDIANA.

Gas-GENERATOR.

Spcie'aition of Letters' Patent.

`resented oct. 22, 1907. 4

Appunti and im 3,1905.' sans su. 263,611. Y

To all whom it may concern.' v

Be it known that we, AUoUsTINE DAVIs and JAMES Hl.' BIRCH, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illlnois, and lat Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, respectively, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Gas-Generators, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to acetylene gas generators of that type wherein the carbid of calcium is fed to the wate1; an d it consists in certain improvements upon an acetylene gas generator forming the subj'ect matter of Letters Patent No. 719,091-, granted to Augustine Davis on the 27th day of January, 1903.

O ur present improvements relate to those parts of the 'generator disclosed in the aforesaid patent which effect and control the discharge of water from the generation chamber and the `venting of the generation chamber during the filling and emptying of the latter.

In the machine oi the aforesaid patent the overflow of the water from the generating chamber and the venting of the latter during the filling and emptying operations are performed through the agency of separate conduits, the overflow' passage being guarded by a water seal in adrainage chamber.

The principal object had in view inthe development of the present invention has been to render possible the useof an overflow drainage chamber on small sizes of machines, which has heretofore proved impossible on account of the limited vertical dimensions of the generation chamber and the fact that insurance regulations prescribe a water seal of at least- 12 inches against gas pressure in the generation chamber. This object we have accomplished by dispensing with the water seal overflow conduit heretofore used, and employing in lieu thereof a single valved pipe connecting the interior of the generation chamber at the maximum water level with the drainage chamber, which pipecombines the functions of an overflow pipe from the generation tothe drainage chamber and a vent pipe serving to discharge and admit aii` during the. filling and emptying of the generation chamber, respectively.

A minor object of the invention has been to simplify `the construction of the machine in respect to the above- 'present invention; and referring thereto,-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken lout to disclose the interior mechanism, of the machine, omitting the superposed carbid-feed motor; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the machine; and Fig.

drainage chamber. i y i Y Referring tothe drawings,l and briefiy describing the principal parts of the machine with which kour Ipresent improvements areassoci'ated, 5 designatesthe cylindrical stationary outer tank'or shell of the apparatus, the open upper end of -which is entered by an annularshaped bell 6, the upper end of which latter constitutes the gas collecting chamber. In the lower portion of the tank 5 is located the generationchamb'er 7, theside walls of said chamber being constituted by the cylindrical walls of the outer shell or tank 5, fand its upper and lower 'walls being constituted by conical plates or. partitions 8 and9, respectively. The generation chamber 7 is in free communication with the lower end ,of a carbid-feed chamber l0 disposed therteab'ove and .coaxially therewith,7 said chamber being formed by a tube` or cylinder 1l resting upon or formed integral with the upper partition 8 and ,extending upwardly and' co'- axially through the bell 6. Within the carbid-feedV f y3 vis a horizontalsection ata pointslightly abovethe v chamber is located the carbid-feed mechanism, indicated by l2. The concave bottom plate 9 of the generation chamber has a downwardly inclined lateral` outlet tube 13,'the outer end of which is closed by a pivoted gate-valve 14.

On one side of the tank 5 is located the mechanism for supplying the water to the generation chamber, the

same comprising a vertical filling tube l5 having a laterally swinging cap or cover 16, said tube surrounding an inner hood 17 which latter provides a water seal, and communicating with the interior of the generation chamber through a port 18. Through anotch formed in the inner edge of the cap 16 extends a tube 19 that isconnected with a superposed water supply tank (not shown), wherebythe machine is supplied intermittently with water during thecarfbid-feed. A rod 14 connected to the gate-valve 14 extends upwardlyV through guides 15L1 on the filling tube l5 its upper ene lying beneath the overhanging edge of the coverv 16 whereby said gate-valve cannot'be raised `I intil said cover 16 has been opened. Y

20 Fig. 1) .indicates the gas discharge pipe leading from the roof of the generation chamber into a watersealed hood 21, whence the gas ows into the gas collecting chamberin theupper end of the bell', the gas passing thence by a pipe 22 into a filter chamber 23,

from the lower end ofA which latter it is dischargedv through a service pipe 24 leading' through the wall of the tank. l

The machine as thus far described is identical vwith that disclosed in the aforesaid patent, No. 719,091, to'` I which reference `may be had for a more completede'- scription.,

Referring now to those parts wherein our present improvements more particularly reside, 25 designatesV a lio drainage chamber having a closed top and located wholly exteriorly of the generation chamber, being applied to the side wall of the tank to one side of the inlet tube l5, as shown in Fig. 3. In. this chamber is a discharge pipe 26 that enters the chamber near its upper end and depends within the chamber nearly to the bottom of the latter. Communicating with this chamber i through its top wall is a combined overiiow and ventpipe 27, the inner end of which extends through the wall of the tank 5 into the generation chamber, terminating at a .point `coincident with the maximum level of the water in said chamber, as best shown in Fig. 2, wherein the relative location of said pipe is indicated byheavy dotted lines. The opposite end of said pipe, as above stated, taps the top wall of the drain age chamber 25, and the external portion of said pipe is provided with a vent-valve 28 similar to the ventvalve described in the aforesaid patent, No. 719,091, the stem of said yvalve having a bent rod connection 29 K to the cap or cover 16 ofthe filling tube, the connection` being such that when said cap is opened the vent-valve is opened, and vice versa. Communicating with the'v upper end of the4 drainage chamber 25 is a blow-off pipe 30 that taps the top wall of said chamber, sa-id -blowoff pipe having a branch 31 passing through the wall of the tank and errtending up into the bell in order to relieve the pressure when said bell rises to an abnormal or dangerous height. This blow-off branch and its functions are, however, oldfandI constitute no essential part of our present improvements. The service pipe 24 also has a sealing extension 24n depending into tho drainage chamber 25, which latter is also au old feature and unrelated to our present improvements. l Referring, now, to the operation of our improved machine, assuming that the generation chamber is empty and is to be filled with water, this is done by swinging the cover 16 outwardly, which opens the vent-valve 28, and pouring the water into the upper end of the filling tube'l5. The opening of the vent-valve 28 provides a passageway for the displaced air through the pipe 27, the upper 'end of chamber 25 and the blow-off pipe 30. Similarly, assuming that the generation chamber isto 'be emptied, the cover 16 is swung to one side, preliminary to opening the gate-valve 14 which opens the vent- Valve 28 and allows air to be drawn in through blow-off A pipe 30,'t-he top of the-drainage chambei'l25, and pipe-27,

27 will be readily apparent.

to replace the water and sludge drawn off.

From 'the foregoing the venting functions of the pipe It is also evident that during the filling of the generation chamber with water (the vent-valve 28 being open), as .soon as the water reaches the 'level of the'open inner end of the pipe 27 it will'overfiow throughv the latter into the drainage chamber 25, filling the `latter'to the height at which lthe discharge pipe26 taps said chamber, lthereby providing a water seal -in said'chamber-equaly to 4the height ofthe in- 1 ternal portion l'of the discharge pipe. When the magas into the vdrainage chamber, and taking the place of the water seal heretofore required on the overflow pipe or conduit. The water seal required for the service and discharge pipes is very small, and hence a Vdrainage chamber-of limited vertical dimensions can be used, which is an important'factor in connection with small machines where the top wall of the generation chamber is too low to permit a twelve inch seal.

From the foregoing it will be secn that our present invention dispenses with the necessity of a separate overiiowv-pipe from the generation chamber into the drainage chamber, giving the function of this overfiow pipe to thevalved vent-pipe, thus reducing the number of parts and simplifying the` machine. p

The exact form and relative disposition yof the parts as herein shown and described are not essential, so long as the feature of combining the overfiow and venting functions in a single pipe is preserved.

We claim: 4 v 1..'In an acetylene-gas generator, thecomblnatlon with a generation chamber' and means'for, supplying water' thereto, of a drainage chamber, and a combined vent and overflow pipe connecting said generation and drainage chambers, the lower end of said pipe vterminating above the water level in the drainage, chamber-,substantially as de scribed. r' n 2,

2. In an acetylene gas generator, the combination-with n generation chamber and means for suppiying water' thereto,v of 'a drainagerchamber locatednexteriorly of said generation chamber, and a combined vent and overflow pipe connecting the upper portions of said generation and drainage chambers, the lower end of said pipe terminating above the water level in the drainage chamber', substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene gas generator, the combination with n generation chamber' and means for supplying water thereto, of a closed drainage chamber located exterior-ly of said generation chamber and provided with n watersealed discharge pipe, a combined vent and over'fiow pipe connecting the upper portions of said generation and drainage chambers, and a blow-off pipe communicating with the upper' portion of said drainage chamber, substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene gas generator, the combination with n generation chamber having a filling tube provided with a cover, of 'a drainage chamber located adjacent to said generation chamber', a combined vent and overflow pipe connectlng said generation and drainage chambers, and a valve in said pipe having an actuating connection to the A having an actuating connection `to the cover of said filling tribe, and a blow-off pipe tapping the upper' end of said drainage chamber, substantially as described.

AUGUSTINE DAVIS.

JAMES H. BIRCH.

Witnesses to the signature of Augustine Davis SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. GOODWIN,

Witnesses to the signature of .Tames H. Birch:

JorrN T. EARL, Bassin E, FUNK. 

